Do you believe sexism plays a part in Hillary's polling numbers

[Caliman73]

8. I think that gender bias is so ingrained in America that it can't help but affect behavior

I don't think that most people sit down and say, "Hillary is a woman, therefore (something negative)", but gender bias is a real thing and I think that it can certainly have an at least subtle effect on perceptions of a candidate. The perception of Hillary as an "ambitious person who will do anything to get elected" is steeped in sexism. Where men who are ambitious are seen as properly expressing masculinity, women who are ambitious are seen as lacking something or in some way being "unnatural". There is, in my opinion, a vicious cycle with regards to Hillary. Every move is scrutinized so she is careful and standoffish with the media, they characterize her as hiding something (which she is, for the sake of her humanity I am sure), then she pulls back, and the media claims she is hiding something.... rinse/repeat.

Likewise, Hillary is blamed for what Bill did or didn't do, which is not usually the treatment that the husband of a powerful woman politician has to deal with.